smith



(No Model.)

D. LESMITH.

v SUPPORTER. No. 521,249. Patented June 12,1894.

WITNESSES INVENTOR I UNrran STATES PATENT @rricn.

DWIGHT L. SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EARL A. SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,249, dated June 12, 1894- Application filed April 25, 1894. Serial No. 508 J980. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown thatLDWIGHT L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, 1n the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichlt appertains to make and use the same. My 1nvention relates to supporters for stocklngs, drawers and clothingand underweargenerally and has for its object to simplify and cheapen the construction and at the same time to greatly improve the operation in use, 1t belng essential that the stocking or other garment be held firmly so that there shall be no danger whatever of slipping, that all danger of tearing the stocking or other garment be avoided, that the supporter be constructed in such a manner as to give the necessary amount of strength and to insure durability 1n use and furthermore that the construction be such that the stocking or other garment may be readily clasped and unclasped.

W1th these ends in viewl have devised the simple and novel supporter which I will now describe referring by letters and numbers to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2 a rear elevation, and Fig. 3 a side elevation of my novel supporter in the closed position, and

Fig. lis a side elevation of my novel sup-' porter in the open position, that is, in positlon to receive a fold of stocking or other garment. I

lVly novel supporter consists of upper and lower members denoted respectively by A and B and a swinging loop hinged to the upper member which is designated as C. Member A is blanked out from sheet metal but the parts are so formed as to enable me to form member B and the loop each complete from a slngle piece of wire. Member A is provided with the usual slot 2 through which the web is passed in the ordinary manner. On the back of member A I form upper and lower pairs of eyes designated respectively as 3 and 4. These eyes are formed from the metal of the member itself, the eyes in each pair be ing separated by an opening 5. Member B as already stated is formed from a single piece of wire the central portion of which is shaped to form a loop 6 which I term the fixed loop the two halves of the piece of wire being closed together above the loop to form a shank 7. At the upper end of the shank the halves of the piece of wire are bent outward at right angles and pass through eyes 4 the upper end of the shank lying in opening 5. Outside of the eyes the halves of the piece of wire are bent downward at right angles and parallel to each other to form the sides of member B and then inward at right angles the ends meeting and being held together in any suitable manner as by a sleeve 8. The fixed loop is caused in the operation of forming to stand out from the member as clearly shownin Figs. 3 and 4. This is in order to leave ample space between the fixed loop and member B to receive swinging loops 0 and also two plies of the stocking or other garment that is to be held. The swinging loop is likewise made from a single piece of Wire the central portion of which is bent to form a neck 9 which in the closed position lies under fixed loop 6. Above the neck the halves of the piece of wire are curved outward to form an opening 10 sufficiently large to permit the fixed loop and plies of the stocking orother garment to be passed into andthrough said opening when the neck is drawn up under the fixed loop. Above opening 10 the halves of the piece of wire are closed together to form a shank 11 the upper end of which lies in opening 5, the ends of the two halves of the piece of wire being turned outward at right angles and engaging eyes 3.

The operation will be readily understood by those familiar with this class of articles. The fold of the stocking or other garment to be hold is placed over fixed loop 6, that is, between fixed loop 6 and the swinging loop as seen in Fig. 4, the parts being placed so as to permit the swinging loop to swing clear of the fixed loop. Having placed a fold of the stocking or other garment over the fixed loop the operator presses the swinging loop down over the stocking or other garment, the fixed loop with the fold of garment which covers it passing through opening 10 after which memberA is drawn up to the locking position as in Fig. 3. This of course draws neck 9 up under the fixed loop and clasps the fold of garment firmly between the fixed loop and the sides of the neck. This is done in such a manner however, that while the garmentis held firmly there is not the slightest tendency to tear it nor does it tear readily when strain is placed upon it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A garmentsupporter consisting of a member A to which a web may be attached and which is provided with eyes 3 and 4:, a membe! 13 formed from a single piece of. wire the central portion of which is shaped to form a fixedloop 6, the halves of said piece of Wire tormlnga shank above the loop, and then passmg through eyes 4, and a swinging loop formed from a single piece of wire the central portion of which is shaped to form a neck 9 the halves of said piece of wire being, then curved outward to form an opening 10 through which the fixed loop may pass, and the halves of the piece of wire being closed together above opening 10 to form a shank and then bent outward at right angles to engage eyes 3, said swingingloop beingadapted to be moved away from member I3 when member A is swung forward and the neck to be drawn up under the fixed loop when member A is moved backward to place.

2. Agarment supporter consisting of a memher A to which a web may be attached and which is provided with an opening 5 and eyes 3 and 4:, a member B formed from a single piece of wire the central portion of which is shaped to form a fixed loop 6, the halves of said piece of wire being closed inward to form a shank above the loop, the upper end of said shank lying in opening 5 and the halves of the piece of wire passing through eyes 4, and a swingingloop 0 formed from a single piece of wire the central portion of which is shaped to form a neck 9 the halves of said piece of wire being curved outward above the neck to form an opening 10 through which the fixed loop may pass the halves of the pieceof wire being then closed inward to form a shank the upper end of which lies in opening 5 and the ends of the piece of wire being then turned outward to engage eyes 3, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DWIGI I" L. SMITH.

'Witnesses:

W. L. KING, J AMES STOVELL. 

